On World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Chris Ball, head of health, safety and environmental at Dandara, discusses the progress made in the industry and what needs to be done to look after the people that make up the sector.
When I first started out in the construction industry, health and safety wasn’t something we talked about much. At university, studying construction management and engineering, it was barely on the curriculum. We learned how to build things, not how to keep people safe while doing it. It was only when I joined a graduate scheme and found myself managing sites that the reality of safety hit home – and I realised how much more there was to the job than risk assessments and PPE.
Fifteen years later, the industry has changed – but the pace of change needs to keep up with the pressures we’re facing. Health and safety is no longer just about preventing falls or making sure people are wearing the right kit. Increasingly, it’s about supporting people’s long-term health, and that means putting mental well-being on equal footing with physical protection.
We’re facing a perfect storm. Our workforce is ageing, skilled trades are in short supply, and the pace of development isn’t slowing down. That puts enormous pressure on the people on the ground, and when people are under pressure, the risks aren’t always visible – but they’re very real.
That’s particularly true when it comes to mental health. Construction has long struggled with poor mental health outcomes and the statistics are alarming. In 2021, 507 construction workers in the UK died by suicide, equating to an average of two lives lost every working day. This rate is nearly four times higher than the national average, highlighting the urgent need for industry-wide intervention[1].
At Dandara, we’re working hard to break the stigma and address these challenges. Three years ago, we partnered with the Lighthouse Club Charity to provide our workforce with access to a 24/7 helpline, free text service and confidential support for people who might otherwise fall through the cracks – including subcontractors and agency staff who may not have the same access to internal resources.
But awareness is only the start. We’ve set up a mental health and well-being committee internally to drive a more joined-up approach across the business. We’re exploring ways to bring more sessions onto sites and even upskilling internal teams to help us deliver them. What I’ve learned is that impact comes from consistency. We can’t rely on one-off campaigns or posters alone – the message needs to be built into how we operate, day in and day out.
And it’s not just about mental well-being. Promoting occupational health more broadly has become an increasing priority for us – from reducing dust exposure and encouraging safe lifting practices, to highlighting the long-term risks of vibration and noise. We’ve introduced new measures across our sites to help identify risks early, make protective equipment easy to access and raise awareness of hazards that can often be overlooked until it’s too late.
We’ve also invested in the digital side of things. One of our biggest challenges used to be knowing who was on-site, what their qualifications were and whether they were fit for the work. We introduced a new onboarding platform that verifies operatives’ details before they arrive. It’s transformed how we manage risk and freed up time to focus on more strategic challenges. It’s the kind of tool that helps us look ahead, not just react.
There’s still a long way to go. One of the biggest misconceptions I come across is that health and safety slows things down – that it’s a barrier to getting work done. But the opposite is true. A workforce that’s supported, trained and healthy is far more efficient and resilient than one that’s firefighting problems because they’ve been pushed to the limit.
This year, as we mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work, I think it’s time we reframe what safety means. It’s no longer just about getting people home in one piece – it’s about making sure they’re well enough to come back tomorrow, next month and in ten years’ time. Because a safe site isn’t just a compliant one. It’s a place where people feel seen, supported and valued.
That’s what we’re working towards at Dandara and I hope, as an industry, we’re all moving in the same direction.
